Republicans will be making a renewed push for charter schools in the upcoming session with a bill that could see dozens of charter schools established over the next five years.

The legislation is the latest bid by Republicans, who championed a private-school tax credit bill in 2013, to expand taxpayer-paid school options.

"I see it as a major tool of school choice," said Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston, who will sponsor the bill.

Charter schools are public schools that have freedom from some of the curriculum and regulation requirements placed on other public schools. Alabama is one of eight states that do not allow public charter schools, according to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

The proposal allows for two avenues to create charter schools: new "startup" schools or the conversions of existing schools. Local school systems could convert an unlimited number of schools to charter status each year.

A nonprofit could apply to a local school system to create a startup school. Only 10 such schools could be established in the state each year for the first five years. If local districts reject a charter application, a nine-member state commission — four of whose seats would be appointments recommended by legislative leaders — would have the ability to overrule the decision and approve a charter.

"The goal is to give students and parents more choices of excellence," said Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur.

The bill is expected to draw opposition from Democrats and the Alabama Education Association.

"I think it will force them on the systems that don't want them and don't need them," House Minority Leader Craig Ford, D-Gadsden, said.

Collins and Marsh said the schools would have autonomy over their hiring and firing decisions and could choose not to offer tenure. Schools could pursue alternate methods of teaching, such as having a professional welder, instead of a certified teacher, teach a welding class, she said.

"It might include tenure or it might not. It might include participation in all the defined benefits or it might not. That would be well-defined in that application from the very beginning so it's not a surprise," Collins said.

Marsh and other proponents said they've tried to learn lessons from other states.

"We wanted to craft a bill that had strong authorization requirements and strong accountability provisions to make sure we have the best charter schools around," said Emily Schultz, executive director for the Alabama Coalition for Public Charter Schools.

Students at charter schools would take the same year-end standardized tests as other students. The schools would be automatically shut down if they receive a "D" or an "F" on state-school report cards. The contracts for the schools would have to be renewed every five years.

Eric Mackey, executive director of the School Superintendents of Alabama, said his organization had some concerns about the ability of the commission to override local school boards.